Do you use the Tarot to help you progress on your spiritual path? Or are you perhaps curious about doing this kind of work with the Tarot? Many people first come to the Tarot because they want help with understanding why a relationship isn’t working out or when they will meet ‘The One.’ But many people who have a reading or start learning a bit about the Tarot soon realize the vast potential of working with archetypes for personal and spiritual development.
The key to using the Tarot for spiritual growth is an understanding of what kind of a tool the Tarot is. Not just understanding what it can do but also what its limitations are. Not long ago, a prospective client asked me to read on the question ‘Where am I on my spiritual journey?’; I answered her question with ‘Why don’t you tell me?’. The reason I answered with a question is that the Tarot as a tool for spiritual development is a bit (or rather a lot) like a map… How can you use a map if you don’t know where you are?
Own Where You’re At
Your reader isn’t God (or a mind reader… or the owner of the blueprint of your destiny). Furthermore, the Tarot doesn’t have a built-in GPS that tells you exactly where you are. The question for the oracle must begin with your understanding of where you are. Then the Tarot may be able to help you get a better fix on the location… Asking ‘Where am I on my spiritual journey?’ is a bit like being lost in a foreign country. Luckily, you have a mobile phone so you call a friend to help get you out. However, instead of giving your friend an idea of what your surroundings look like and where your last known location was, you expect them to tell you where you are.
That said, you can still ask ‘Where am I?’ of the Tarot… Sure! But expect a very cryptic and less than helpful answer. You have to work with your reader if you truly wish to grow and learn. The relationship must be built on trust and sharing. You can’t expect your destiny to be decoded and handed down to you in an easily digestible format with a minimum amount of work done by you. A good Tarot reading will build on the information that you provide. Then it will be able to give you bespoke, practical advice that you can implement straight away.
The Journey Is Not Linear
If you don’t know where you are on your journey or you feel completely lost, you are inevitably at the start of a new journey. Our spiritual journey through life is not linear and there are (thankfully!) many chances to start afresh. Our spiritual journey is more like a massive labyrinth, with smaller labyrinths nestled inside it. Sometimes we find ourselves at a dead-end. Sometimes, if we are lucky(!) enough, this dead-end is punctuated by a Tower experience, which forces us to start afresh… but often it is a lot more nebulous than that.
The other important thing when using the Tarot for spiritual growth and development is an understanding of the Archetypes of the Major Arcana. If you want to start using the Tarot for yourself this way rather than relying on a reader (and I strongly recommend that you do learn the Tarot!), you must befriend the Majors in-depth. The Major Arcana contains a summary of all of life’s spiritual lessons. Because the story of the Fool’s Journey through the Majors has become so popular in recent times, many mistakenly think this journey is (or should be linear). This simply isn’t so. It is complex and the full pattern is discernible only to God (or The Universe or whatever name you choose for Source).
Universal Archetypes for All Paths
The great thing about the Tarot, because it connects us directly with the collective unconscious, is that it works for all Paths. In a sense, the collective unconscious is evidence that all Paths are one Path.
The Archetypes of the Major Arcana are universal and can be seen as the source from which the world’s religions were born. The reason we have so many savior myths where the god is resurrected on the third day isn’t that one of them is true – all of them are because behind all of them, there is ultimate Truth.
A Fabulous FREE Resource!
If you are already familiar with the Tarot Majors and keen to get stuck in with using the Tarot for spiritual and personal development, I have just the FREE resource you are looking for, with 200+ Tarot spreads dedicated to helping you with YOUR journey!
Love and Blessings,
Lisa Frideborg